


Healing    Hands

by UntoldMuse



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Feels, F/M, Lots of sadness actually, M/M, Medical Conditions, Multi, Plot with a little porn, Rating May Change, Sadness, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-07-06 12:06:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15885705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UntoldMuse/pseuds/UntoldMuse
Summary: Keith had a rough start in life, but now he has turned his childhood pain into something constructive.He works as a nurse at the Garrison Memorial Hospital, a high-end facility and the largest hospitalin the area.  He has a good job, a decent apartment and nothing to hold him back.At least until a patient named Takashi Shirogane comes into his peaceful world, and turns it upside down.(Cliche title is cliche.  It will be changed when I come up with a better name for it.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Pssshhh what, this totally wasn't inspired by Shiro's mystery illness from season 7 and me being an avid fan of the tv show Chicago med...of course not...

In the E.R. no one stays idle for long. There’s always something to be done, or a new patient to care for. Keith Kogane, a newly-hired registered nurse, knew that fact very well. His current task, changing the bed-sheets from the last patient to use the room, left him with plenty of time for his mind to wander. And as such, Keith’s brain vaguely conjured up some random facts he remembered about the patient. _Male, 27, Caucasian. Complaining of extreme pain in his midsection._ Now he remembered why he could point out such details. He was the one who wrote the patient notes for the physician.

Sighing, Keith pulled the top-right corner of the sheet over the mattress. He fluffed the pillow and laid it at the head of the bed, taking a second to admire his handiwork. Making beds was the easiest task he’d had all day. Suddenly, an alarm rang out through the floor. More patients. Keith wiped his forehead and discarded the latex gloves on his hands for a fresh pair. The head nurse Allura started barking off orders in preparation for their newest arrival.

Keith and Lance, another RN, both emerged out of empty rooms in time to see the ambulance pulling in. “Keith!” Allura said pointing at him, “Go with Dr. Griffin to room four.” Keith nodded. He ran over to help the paramedics transfer the patient over to the room.

“His name is Takashi Shirogane, Japanese, Male, 25 years old.” Said one of the paramedics. “He called because of an injury to his arm falling down stairs.” The other one chimed in. Keith only half-listened, he didn't feel the need. He could hyper-absorb information like no one's business. He helped the paramedics pick up the patient and place him on the bed.

Keith attached several sensors to the patient’s chest and a clip at the end of his finger to monitor his vitals. The monitor buzzed to life with activity. Then he began setting up an IV drip while Dr. Griffin started examining the patient.

“Are you in any pain, mister Shirogane?” The man groaned a strangled yes. “Give him 3mg of morphine.” Dr. Griffin said. Keith nodded and stuck a needle into the vein on mister Shirogane’s hand.

“Can you tell us what happened to you?” The doctor asked. The man nodded.

“I-I was walking downstairs in my house, and I-I...tripped. I couldn’t catch myself and I fell down the whole way...I think my arm is broken.”

“Were you alone in your house?” Dr. Griffin asked.

“Y-yeah...luckily I had my cell phone. I called 911.” He replied.

The doctor jotted down some notes, “We’ll get you a full x-ray then reset any broken bones you have, okay?” He said. The patient seemed reassured, so Dr. Griffin left to get the paperwork in place.

Keith stood there writing notes of his own and checking the patient’s vitals one more time. Now that the initial fuss was over, Keith finally took a good look at their newest patient. He was young, not much older than Keith himself. Well-built and handsome, he had short black hair with a gorgeous coif of bangs in the front. _Takashi Shirogane...Japanese, male, 25 years old_. Keith mentally recited the information from the paramedic.

At times like this Keith liked to take a second to address the patients privately and see if there was anything the doctors missed.

“Are you in pain anywhere besides your arm?” He asked.

“Yeah, oh god-my head hurts.” Said mister Shirogane. “I think it’s bleeding-oh god am I bleeding?!” Keith gently grabbed his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

“Just take a deep breath sir, you’re gonna be okay.” Keith said. With his other hand he carefully inspected the patient’s head, looking for any cuts or scrapes. Keith went over to a small cart beside the bed, picking up a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some bandages. “You have a couple of cuts on your head, but they’re not actively bleeding.” He assured. Keith poured a tiny amount of peroxide on a cotton ball, dabbing it onto the wounds before placing a bandage on them.

“There, you’re all better.” Keith said with a grin. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” He asked, throwing his gloves in the biohazard bin. “

Uh...I guess not. Thanks.” Mister Shirogane replied. Keith nodded, and started to go. “Oh and hey, you can just call me Shiro.” He added. Keith nodded and gave the man a courteous, well-practiced smile.

“Alright Shiro, rest up. You’ll be getting X-rays done here soon.”

* * *

 

About twenty minutes later, Dr. Griffin and the radiologist took Shiro up for his X-rays. Keith stood near the main desk, catching a break. But his respite didn’t last for long. Sidling up beside him came Lance. Keith fought the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn’t that Lance was bad person, Keith just disliked him. Oh well. That, however, didn’t deter his fellow nurse from pestering Keith at every opportunity.

“So that man they just took up to radiology is a regular here. Apparently, he suffers from Becker Muscular Dystrophy.” Lance spouted out. Keith grunted.

“How do you know that?”

“Allura told me.” Lance replied. Keith sighed. He should’ve known. Lance and the head nurse were...something else. Lance tried to woo her on an almost daily basis. And while she never told him yes, she never said no to his advances either. It slowly drove Keith crazy, the way they interacted.

“How does Allura know that then?” Keith pressed. Lance just shrugged.

“She’s worked with him before I guess...and she has access to his records.” Keith pushed himself away from the desk. He stole a glance at his watch: it read 5:30 p.m. Keith’s mood suddenly improved a lot. It was finally break time.

“Anyway,” he said, happy to have an excuse to get away from Lance. “It’s lunch time for me. See you guys in a bit.” Lance waved goodbye as Keith headed for the Hospital cafeteria.

The cafeteria was relatively quiet given the time of day. A few people milled around in line, getting whatever they wanted and stuffing it onto their trays. Keith always wondered what it’d be like to be a cook...Not that he had any culinary experience whatsoever. To Keith, food was a specialized method of care just like being an orthopedic surgeon or a cardiologist. Doctors healed the body, and cooks healed the soul.

At least that’s what Hunk, a cafeteria cook, once told him. Keith went up to Hunk’s stall at the cafeteria, hoping to get some delicious food. “Hey,” Keith said. The big, lovable Hunk turned around, waving with a ladle in his hand.

“Hey Keith, long time no see! How are you doing?” He said enthusiastically. Keith smiled softly... All his life he’d been a loner, both by nature and circumstance, but Hunk always managed to make him smile. He genuinely cared about Keith, for reasons he couldn’t quite comprehend.

“I’m doing okay I guess. I’m just really hungry.” He said. Hunk perked up, laying down his ladle.

“Then I know just the thing...” He turned his back to Keith, pouring something into a bowl. He spun back around and placed it on Keith’s tray. “Have some beef stew and my best yeast rolls.” Keith stared at the food, already salivating over it.

“Oh shit...this looks so good.” Keith muttered. Hunk laughed triumphantly.

“Well I should hope it is. Enjoy, Keith and come back any time.” Keith nodded, dashing over to the counter to pay for his meal.

He picked a table in one far-flung corner of the cafeteria, where he could eat alone and in peace. Keith savored every bite of the stew and the yeast rolls. Damn. Keith made a mental note to stop by Hunk’s stall more often. While he ate, he looked out at the city through a large glass window. The cafeteria was situated on the second floor of the hospital, giving him a decent view of the streets and buildings.

If he squinted, Keith could almost see his apartment building on Marmora Avenue. It was about a ten-minute bus ride from the hospital to his house. Though if it was decent weather, Keith usually walked to work. It was fascinating to him, watching people go on about their daily lives, not knowing what might happen to them.

Whether they were brave or stupid, Keith couldn’t say...

He glanced at his watch, grimacing. Almost time to go back to the E.R. He threw away his leftover food into the trashcan and put his tray on top of a stack of other trays.

Five more hours of work to go.

* * *

 

It was _supposed_ to have only been five more hours. But just as Keith entered the break room to clock out for the day, another ambulance roared in, carrying a woman from a car wreck. _18-year-old female, Caucasian, ran out of the road into a ditch._ The paramedics said. Keith and another doctor-he couldn’t remember who, attended to the woman. She was scared and mumbling incoherently. Truly, she was an adult only in name, and Keith felt bad for her. He stayed by her side until the girl’s mother came in. When she arrived, the girl’s eyes watered and she softly whined “Momma.” Keith took that as his cue to leave, and finally went home.

Keith glanced at the clock when he got home, it read 11:30 p.m.  Exhausted, Keith rubbed his eyes and sat down on the couch to rest. The day's activity had his brain too wired to sleep yet. Keith checked his phone, seeing a few messages. He swiped away the notifications, but one caught his eye. It was from an unlisted number. Keith opened the message. It read:

**_{Hey Keith, it’s Katie. Call me sometime.}_ **

Keith frowned. He didn’t know anyone named Katie... _wait_...

Katie Holt? Sam and Colleen’s daughter?

With shaky hands, Keith texted her back.

**{Hey, you’re Katie holt, right?}**

He didn’t expect her to reply any time soon, seeing as she texted him at 4 p.m. earlier that day. But as he waited, Keith went into his apartment’s meager kitchen, looking for a snack. He pulled out a half-eaten loaf of bread and some peanut butter. He munched on his peanut butter sandwich gleefully, when his phone went off. The sudden noise made him jump.

Keith picked it up. Huh. Katie had replied after all. Her reply said

_**{Yes, it’s Katie holt :p My mom and dad wanted to see you. We’re having a family reunion on Saturday, and since you’re kinda family...}** _

The text trailed off there. Keith sighed and typed.

**{I haven’t been in your family since I was 16}**

_**{Well...mom and dad said you were welcome to come. We’re not forcing you}** _

Keith finished his sandwich and put the ingredients back in the cabinet. He went to his room, not bothering to turn on the lights. The glow of the fluorescent green streetlight shining into his bedroom was enough. Keith pulled off his scrubs and changed into some comfy pajama pants and a tank-top. His phone buzzed again.

_**{Oh yeah, it’s at 3 p.m. if you do come:) }** _

**{I’ll think about it, if I don’t have work that day}**

_**{Yay! Goodnight Keith. Take care!}** _

With that final message, Keith laid his phone on the nightstand beside his bed. He slid under the covers, thinking about the reunion. Keith wondered how on earth that kid got his phone number...then he recalled that day about a month ago...He literally bumped into her older brother Matt at the store. They hugged and laughed, just like old times. They talked again and exchanged phone numbers. Keith realized that Katie must've gotten his number from her brother.

As the hour waned on, Keith tossed and turned in the bed. The sheets scrunched up under his back uncomfortably, and the blankets were too hot. But without them, he was too cold. No matter what he did, he couldn’t relax enough to sleep. Finally, Keith grew desperate.

He got up out of bed, going to the kitchen to grab a bottle of sleeping pills. He popped two in his mouth, dry swallowing them. He returned to bed, hoping that the pills would finally knock him out. It was nearly 2 in the morning. Keith closed his eyes, succumbing to the drugs. And about 15 minutes later, he finally fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_THUD...THUD...THUD...THUD..._

Keith jolted awake, startled by the loud pounding. Grotesquely loud footsteps resounded from the apartment above, accompanied by people shouting. Keith groaned. He had a good mind to yell back at his rowdy neighbors, but didn’t think it wouldn’t do any good.

Grunting, Keith reached over for his phone and checked his messages. No new notifications, surprisingly. He laid there, half-awake for a few minutes, before finally deciding to crawl out of bed. His pajamas were wrinkled and bunched up in a dozen different places, but Keith didn’t care. He headed to the bathroom to take a piss.

Keith paused to look at himself in the mirror while washing his hands. His hair had gotten longer, almost too long for his tastes. He wasn’t exactly the most “manly” man, and his long hair only contributed to his feminine appearance. Keith washed his face and combed his messy locks, deciding to get a haircut.

Keith donned a pair of black denim jeans, a grey t-shirt and an old red jacket with white stripes. Keith loved that jacket to pieces. In that jacket he felt like a badass. Like a lone-wolf bad-boy from an anime. Keith loved the smooth material, the bright colors, everything about it screamed cool to him.

He remembered the day he got his favorite jacket. The Holts bought it for him when he first went to live with them. It was their welcoming present, in a way. A small smile danced across his face, and Keith tugged the jacket tighter around himself. _“Maybe I should go to their little reunion.”_

Thought Keith. He left the apartment without eating breakfast, thinking about grabbing a quick bite at the nearest fast-food place. He walked down the street in silent contemplation, eventually coming to a crosswalk. He stopped at the edge of the concrete and gazed across the road to see the barber shop. The shop’s bright, neon OPEN sign was on. Keith checked for traffic, then shot over the road in a half sprint. He stopped in front of the barber shop’s door, panting for a second.

This particular barber shop was the only one in town Keith went to, and if it ever closed down, Keith knew he would be screwed. The reason he favored it so highly, was because of its head hairdresser, Coran. An older, red-headed man with a flair for the dramatic, he was the best damn hairdresser in all the city.

At least according to Keith. The bell rang on at top of the front door, signaling Keith’s entry. The shop was empty, except for Coran and another client who was getting his beard trimmed. Keith waved hello and took a seat in the waiting area. But from across the room, Coran shouted hello and struck up a conversation with Keith.

“How are you doing this morning?” He asked.

Keith shrugged, and picked up a nearby magazine. “I had a long day yesterday...plus something completely unexpected happened to me.” He said.

“OOOhhh what kind of unexpected things?!” Coran said curiously.

Keith debated telling him. He was afraid Coran might judge him if he knew too many details about Keith’s gritty past and his career in the foster care system. But betting on the off chance that Coran didn’t care, Keith explained “My old foster sister reached out to me. Said the family wants me to come to this big family reunion on Saturday.”

Coran nodded, hand cupping his client’s face to examine his beard. He turned the man’s face this way and that, inspecting from every angle. It kind of reminded Keith of the way Dr. Griffin studied mister Shirogane yesterday. “Well you’re all trimmed up!” Coran exclaimed, he pumped the foot pedal, letting the client get up out of the chair.

“It looks good like always. How much?” The man said.

“20 quiznacks.” Keith laughed at the bewildered expression on the man’s face. Coran had some...per say...interesting terms for money and units of time. Regardless the man shelled out 20 dollars and left Coran and Keith alone in the shop. “Come on and sit down here, let me get at that majestic hair of yours.” Coran said excitedly.

Keith plopped down into the worn leather chair. Coran ceremoniously draped a cape around his front and clasped it behind. “Just a trim off the bottom?” He asked. Keith nodded.

“Leave the bangs. I’m starting to like emo vibe.” He added. Coran grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting away. A few minutes passed in silence. Keith wasn’t much of a talker, and Coran was concentrating on his hair.

“So do you think I should go to that reunion? They’re not really my family...but they were the nicest foster family I ever had.” Keith asked, breaking the silence.

“I think so. And I didn’t even know you _had_ a foster family!” Coran replied.

“-Yeah...my parents, um...they died when I was 5.” Keith muttered. “Killed in a-a...” Keith suddenly paused. He couldn’t even remember now...He had been so young... How did they die? A pain shot through his stomach. How _awful_ was he that he couldn’t even remember that important fact?

“Anyway, that family-the Holts-they were the best. They actually treated me like a human being, y’know?”

Coran nodded. “Well sounds like you should go then.” He said.

Keith found himself agreeing. He should reunite with them. Even if he was only in their lives for a brief time, they were the closest thing he had to a family. “I think I will. Thanks Coran, for the haircut and the advice.”

“Advice and hair are what I do best~” Coran said playfully plucking his mustache.

* * *

 

At 10:00 A.M. Keith went into work. He donned his burgundy uniform and black, slip-resistant shoes. He put on his watch and went up to talk to Allura. At the main desk, he was not at all surprised to see Lance hovering near Allura and making eyes at her. Keith nearly made a fake barfing noise. He said good morning, and Allura stared at him. A blush spread across her face, like she’d been caught doing something bad. Had she been _flirting back with Lance?_

Keith shook his head. There was no way...At least he hoped not.

“Keith, can you go to room 4 and check on mister Shirogane, he was the man who came in yesterday with the broken arm...” Allura instructed. Keith nodded emphatically, wanting to put some distance between himself and their bizarre love fest.

He knocked on the door, as a courtesy to any potentially sleeping patients. At this hour, mister Shirogane- _Shiro_ -was wide awake and reading a book. “Good morning.” Keith said as he entered the room.

“Oh hey, good morning.” Shiro replied. He thumbed down the corner of the book, closing it on his lap. “You don’t have to stop reading on my account. I just came to check on you.” Keith said. He paused near the hear monitor, writing down records for his chart. _Heart-rate normal. Breathing normal._ “I just need to check your blood pressure.” Keith said, pulling a stethoscope out from his pants’ pocket.

Shiro nodded, letting him do what he needed to. Keith put the blood pressure cuff on his uninjured arm and slipped the end of the stethoscope underneath. He listened and watched the dial, finally recording that information as well. _Blood pressure at acceptable levels._

“They said I could go home this afternoon...I hope so anyway.” Shiro mused. He looked extremely tired. Keith could relate.

“Do you need anything?” Keith asked, trying to help.

“I’d kill for something real to eat.” Shiro answered swiftly.

“Well you’ll have to talk to the doctor about that, but I don’t see why he wouldn’t let you eat solid foods, as long as you’re holding your medicine down.”

“Ah thank god...I really want just-a big hamburger right about now.” Shiro said, licking his lips. Keith laughed. He could go for a burger too, to be honest.

“Well once you get out of here, go and get yourself one.” Keith put a new bag of fluid on the I.V. drip. Shiro shifted on the bed, trying to get into a new position. “Need me to rearrange the pillows?” Offered Keith. Helping patients get comfortable and avoid bed sores was an important part of his job after all. Shiro looked slightly embarrassed, but he nodded yes. “Just lean forward,” Keith instructed him.

Shiro did, grasping the bed rail with his good hand. Keith took the pillow and fluffed it back up, placing it so that it would lay at the nape of Shiro’s neck. Shiro tried to lean back but found himself stuck. _“Fucking...not now, dammit.”_ Shiro swore under his breath. Keith gently put one hand on Shiro’s back and pushed him backwards. Shiro glanced up at Keith then stared at the bed in disgust.

“I have muscular dystrophy,” He explained. “I can’t even fucking move like a normal person.” Keith already knew, but he didn’t say anything about it. “I think that’s why I fell down all those stairs too. My leg wouldn’t bend and I just-toppled over.”

The heart monitor suddenly made a loud beep, drawing Keith’s attention to it immediately. Keith stared at it for a moment, but there was no indication of anything wrong. Shiro’s heartrate was still normal. Then why had it beeped? Keith left the room long enough to ask Allura to page Dr. Griffin. Loathe as he was to admit it, Keith figured Dr. Griffin might be able to help.

Keith came back into the room, watching the monitor closely. “Something wrong?” Shiro asked, looking concerned.

Keith shook his head, unmoving from his spot. “I just think maybe there’s something wrong with the monitor, but I asked Dr. Griffin to check you out, just to make sure.” Shiro was unhappy about that news. 

"But I can go home this afternoon, right?” He pressed. “I just broke my arm, and other than my disease there’s nothing wrong with me...right?”

At that moment Dr. Griffin came into the room. Keith stepped aside to let the doctor view the monitor. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, seeing nothing amiss. “His vitals are still normal, but the monitor-just started beeping for no reason.” Explained Keith. The doctor sighed.

“You called my in here for that? It’s probably just equipment malfunction.”

Keith nodded, gritting his teeth. He hated being reprimanded in front of a patient. _“Yeah and what if it wasn’t a malfunction and the patient was actually in danger jackass?”_ That’s what Keith wanted to say, but he didn’t.

Dr. Griffin ignored Keith, turning his attention to the patient. “Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. The nurse was just a bit paranoid.” Shiro squinted at the doctor, not entirely convinced. Keith shuffled from one foot to the other, crossing his arms indignantly. “I’ll get your discharge papers in order for you, does that sound alright?” Shiro’s frown melted away at the promise of going home. He nodded, and Dr. Griffin left to get started on the paperwork.

“I’m sorry if I worried you.” Keith said, the words tasting bitter in his mouth.

“It’s okay.” Shiro replied. He tried to push himself into a better sitting position with his good arm, but it ended unproductively. Keith walked over to the bed side, pressing a switch to raise the back of the bed up.

“Is that better?” He asked.

“Yeah thanks...And you don’t have to apologize by the way...I’d rather someone be paranoid about me than not give a shit about me.” Shiro reassured him.

Keith grinned, “Well that’s my job...Take care of yourself mister Shirogane, I hope I _don’t_ see you again soon.” Shiro paused for a second, before finally getting the joke.

He chuckled softly and said “Me too.”

Keith discarded his gloves in the bin and exited the room. He had other patients to make rounds to now, and he was sure Allura would be having him change the beds soon.

* * *

 

 

Like the previous night, Keith found it impossible to fall asleep. He laid in bed for two hours, hoping to magically drift off, but the sweet release of sleep never came. Defeated, Keith grappled on the nightstand for his phone, deciding to look up a recipe for something he could take to the Holts' family reunion. A few ideas piqued his interest, like a chicken casserole and pigs-in-a-blanket. 

Keith couldn’t really explain why he felt like making food for this event...The desire just crept up on him out of nowhere. Realistically, he could just show up with a couple bottles of liquor or soda from the convenience store and no one would care.

But whatever reason, _Keith cared._ He bookmarked a couple of recipes in the browser and made a note to buy supplies tomorrow. Keith relished the fact that tomorrow was a day off for him. He could sleep in, have a big breakfast and relax. Of course, sleeping _in_ implied that he fell asleep at all in the first place. But whatever.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NO PROOFREADING OR EDITING FOR CONTINUITY, WE DIE LIKE MEN.  
> This chapter is very dialogue heavy.

Keith yawned, stretching out across his bed. His hip groaned in protest from being laid on for too long. He rubbed the schmutz out of the corner of his eyes and sighed. Below in the city cars rustled and bustled along the roads, noisily going about their business.

     _“Why the fuck are they so loud at this time of night?”_ Keith thought, a frown spreading across his face. He rolled over onto his left side, stealing a glance through the bedroom window. Sunlight streamed through the window, as white clouds slowly grazed across the sky. “Oh,” Keith mumbled.

     Well, it seemed he’d stayed up on his phone long he _had_ fallen asleep. Fantastic. Keith groaned looking at the time; 11 A.M. Annoyedly, Keith propelled the covers off himself and trudged to the kitchen. Nothing in the cabinets or fridge looked appealing. Keith had to admit, he gotten spoiled to the ease of eating at the Hospital cafeteria and takeout.

     He donned almost the same casual outfit as yesterday, swapping his grey shirt for a black one. With keys and wallet in his jacket, Keith went downstairs from his apartment. He knew his neighbors thought he was weird, but Keith didn’t care. He was a grown man and if he felt like sleeping until 11 in the morning, then _damn it,_ he would.

     He trekked over to a little diner not too far from Coran’s salon. They served all kinds of greasy breakfast food and burgers there, the kind that Keith knew made Cardiologists have a fit. He had a craving for a platter of bacon and eggs...and maybe he’d splurge on a chocolate milk or two...

     The diner was packed with people, both recurring patrons and newcomers. Nobody paid Keith any attention as he headed to a table in the back-right corner. They were all too bust scarfing down food and talking obnoxiously to care.

Keith took in the eclectic decorations around the restaurant as he walked. Various records and other 80’s paraphernalia hung on the walls. A collection of band posters, greeting cards and even a pair of old bell-bottom jeans occupied one wall called “The Wall.”  Yeah...just...the wall. The sign above it literally said, “The Wall.”

“Minus 2 points for originality here guys.” Keith remarked. Somewhere close by someone chuckled. Keith spun around, trying to find the person. Were they laughing at him? Keith sat down at the corner table, and suddenly caught sight of mister Shirogane. Keith doubted the man would recognize him out of his scrub and pulled out his phone to play a game.

     “Hey, sorry to disturb you-are you that nurse from the Garrison Hospital?”

     Keith looked up, surprised to see mister Shirogane standing right there beside his table.

     “Yeah, I am...The name’s Keith. I can’t remember if I told you that or not but...” Keith trailed off. Mister Shirogane extended his uninjured hand for a friendly handshake.

     “I don’t remember either, but it’s okay. I wanted to thank you for helping me out.” Shiro rubbed the back of his neck trying to relieve the tension built up there. “You paid more attention to me than the doctor so...uh, thanks.”

     Keith nodded with a smile on his face. “Like I said, you’re welcome. It’s what I do.”

     “I came here to get that burger we were talking about yesterday...Plus this pain medicine they prescribed me for my arm has to be taken with food.”

     Keith’s nursing instincts suddenly took over as he said, “Make sure you do take it with something in your stomach, otherwise you may get nausea or diarrhea.” Shiro laughed.

     “Wh-what?” Keith stammered. Shiro shook his head, chuckling.

     “Nothing,” he replied. “You know you don’t have to nurse me outside the hospital, right?” He teased. Keith sighed and ducked his head, cursing his social ineptitude.

But Shiro didn’t leave him sitting there awkwardly. He smiled and said “Hey, I was wondering-Do you wanna eat with me? It’d be my treat, since you helped me out at the hospital.” Keith shrugged.

“You don’t have to do that-“ He replied.

His words fell on deaf ears though, as Shiro sat down at the booth across from Keith. At that moment a waitress waltzed up to their table, chewing obnoxiously on a piece of gum. Keith tried not to cringe. She handed them both a menu and whipped out her notepad. “What can I get you fellas to drink?”

“Umm...I dunno? Some soda?” Keith answered. The waitress nodded and scribbled down the order.

“And you sir?” She said, gesturing to Shiro.

He looked up and confidently said “Coffee. Decaf.” The waitress nodded again and sprinted away from their table like a fairy vanishing in the air.

“I’m so hungry...” Keith whined. He stared at the menu in daze, trying to decide what he wanted to eat.

“Hey, why don’t we get those hamburgers we were talking about yesterday?” Shiro remarked. Keith cut him a side-eye glare.

“What are you doing?” He asked bluntly.

Shiro frowned, obviously put off by Keith’s abruptness. “I don’t understand-“

“Why are you buying me food? You were my _patient_ just yesterday.” Interrupted Keith. Shiro’s random act of generosity puzzled Keith...He couldn’t understand why-for all intents and purposes-a stranger wanted to buy him lunch. There had to be a reason behind it, right?

“I don’t know? Do I have to have a reason? I just saw you by yourself and I thought, ‘well maybe we could eat together so neither of us has to be by ourselves.’ That’s all. I mean, I can leave if it makes you uncomfortable.” Keith shook his head, running a hand through his newly-cut hair.

“That’s not what I meant-ugh, nevermind.” Keith picked up his menu, staring at it intensely.

“I don’t usually come here, so I have no idea what to get.” Shiro said, trying to save them from the awkward silence. Keith just shrugged.

“I don’t either. Guess I’ll just get a burger. Those are usually a safe bet.” He said.

The waitress returned to their table, still obnoxiously smacking her gum. “Ready to order?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’ll take the classic burger please.” Shiro said.

“I want what he’s having and some fries.” Keith ordered. The waitress wrote everything down and scampered away to the kitchen.

“So, how long have you been a nurse?” Shiro asked casually.

“About a year. I graduated when turned 20 but I didn’t get certified until last year.” Keith replied. For some reason, he didn’t mind telling Shiro about his career. That’s something all adults did, right? He was being sociable! “How about you?” Keith questioned, trying to return the conversation. “What do you do?”

“Well, I don’t have a real job right now. I’m crashing with my friend Matt for the time being.” Keith nodded politely, even though he couldn’t relate. He never had friends at all, much less ones who would let him live with them. “I’m looking to get a job where I can work from home, since I can’t move too well anymore.” Shiro said. The latter half of his statement sounded...mournful...like realizing that something very important to you is gone for good...

Keith stared at Shiro for a second, taking in his appearance. He noticed bags under his soulful black eyes. No doubt due to being in the hospital. Shiro caught his gaze, giving Keith a goofy smile. "You checking me out?" He said with a playful grin.

Keith suddenly forgot how to speak, all the words in his brain disconnecting from his tongue. Sweat beads ran down his temple. Keith shivered a little, taking a sip of his drink in mortification. 

"Sorry," Shiro said. "I shouldn't have assumed, I mean-assumed that you're gay. I'm gay though. Very gay actually, hehe..." He too succumbed to embarrassed silence, and drank his soda. 

"It's okay. You're not wrong, I'm gay as fuck." Keith replied.

Shiro visibly relaxed, the redness fading from his face. "So uh, I knew it wasn't really appropriate to say at the hospital but you're kind of cute."

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since I updated this, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

_You’re kind of cute._

_You’re kind of cute._

For the rest of the week, Keith let those words replay in his mind over and over. Every time he thought about it, Keith would smile unwittingly. He tried to go on with his work like normal, but that impromptu meeting at the diner lead to him...feeling things. He thumbed over the paper Shiro had given him with his number. Keith wondered if Shiro had kept his number as well.

But on Saturday, Keith didn’t have time to think about it that much, between work and preparing to go to the Holt family reunion. He took a shower at 1 p.m. Then started making the food for the reunion. The previous night he had off work, so Keith went to the store to buy supplies. He decided to make pigs-in-a-blanket. A simple, unassuming snack.

After his shower, Keith set to work. First, he cut the cheap hotdogs and put them in a bowl. Next, he took some pre-packaged croissant dough and rolled it out flat. After the dough was flattened, Keith cut it with a dull pizza cutter into even strips. Finally, he assembled the piggies and put them on a baking sheet bound for the oven.

While he waited for the food to cook, Keith flopped down on the couch in the adjacent living room. His phone buzzed, so Keith pulled it out of his back pocket. He had a message from Katie.

_**{Hey, so are you coming to the reunion today?}** _

**{Yeah, I planned to** } Keith typed.

_**{Sweet. I’ll save you a seat between me and matt. He hasn’t shut up about you coming since I told him you might}** _

Keith chuckled. He wasn’t sure how to feel about Matt being so excited for his arrival...Let alone anyone else. Still, it was nice to be wanted. The two of them texted for a while, until the timer on the oven went off. Keith tossed his phone on the kitchen counter and pulled on a pair of oven mitts. The pigs-in-a-blanket were all perfectly done, brown and crispy on top. Keith scooped them into a bowl and sealed it with a lid. He checked the clock, it was 2:30 p.m. Time to go.

Keith put on his shoes and hefted his bowl of freshly-made snacks. Then he headed out the door to the nearest bus station.

* * *

 

Keith made it to the Holt’s place at 3:30. More than fashionably late, he hoped no one would mind as he walked up the drive. The Holt’s house was an old brick cottage, situated in serene country, and surrounded by trees. Keith breathed in the fresh air, amazed by how good the property still looked after all these years.

There were tons of cars parked along the driveway and in the lush green yard. Keith never realized just how big of a family they had until now. He walked to the front door, ringing the doorbell just once. Inside he could hear a cacophony of noise-people laughing, eating, talking and singing. Keith decided maybe they couldn’t hear him, and he rang the bell again. No one came.

Suddenly, Keith saw a figure coming from around the side of the house. He was clutching a cane in one hand, and a cup in the other. Keith turned around to explain himself but stopped short. He suddenly found himself staring at none other than Sam Holt.

“Sam?” Keith said in disbelief. The old man nodded.

“Keith, it’s been a while.” He replied. The two men gave each other a one-armed hug, and Keith was suddenly overwhelmed.

“I-I...uh, Katie and Matt-they invited me.” He stammered. Sam nodded.

“We’re glad you came, Keith. Come on inside, I know Colleen and the kids will want to see you.” Keith followed Sam inside, greeted by the warmth of chatter and good-smelling food. He didn’t recognize anyone there of course, except for Mrs. Holt. She sat on the couch with another woman-the two of them drinking and talking with each other. Sam cleared his throat, catching the ladies’ attention.

“Colleen, our special guest Keith is here.” Suddenly Mrs. Holt’s entire countenance changed. She sprang from the couch, arms open wide. She hugged Keith tight, nearly suffocating him. Keith, surprised by the affection, awkwardly hugged her back as best he could without dropping the food.

“It’s good to see you again Mrs. Holt.” He said softly. Colleen pulled away, looking up at Keith. He was so much taller than he’d been when they first took him in. She decided to say as much to Keith. “My god you’ve gotten tall. You used to come under my chin, now you’re a couple of inches taller.” Keith’s face flushed, he wasn’t sure whether to take that as a compliment or not.

“Come, let’s take that food to the kitchen. Oh, and I need to find Matt and Katie!” Colleen grabbed Keith by the arm, dragging him through the living room. He looked like an unwilling cat on a leash, passing by the other family members.

The kitchen looked the same way it had when he used to live there. White distressed cabinets, and black granite countertops. The Holts weren’t excessively rich, but still well-to-do. Keith noted the new table, situated in the corner. Two sets of French doors opened from the kitchen into the back yard, and one was permanently opened to allow the rowdy kids access.

Colleen grabbed the bowl of pigs-in-a-blanket from Keith and plopped it down on the kitchen island next to a veggie tray. Keith made a mental note of all the food that looked good to him. Among the snacks, there were pizza rolls, bread rolls, the veggie tray and crustless sandwiches cut into triangles. Colleen must’ve noticed him silently salivating over the food, because she thrust a small paper plate into Keith’s hands.

“Go ahead dear,” she said, “Eat up.” Keith took the plate and piled it high with snacks.

Meanwhile, Matt and Katie were summoned by Sam to greet him. But instead of popping up and saying hello like _normal_ humans, the Holt siblings decided to sneak up and pounce on Keith like feral cats.

He was peacefully nibbling a deviled egg when they struck. “KEITH!” Katie shrieked. Keith nearly crumpled under the sudden weight of two adults on his back.

Whipping his head around so fast he got dizzy he exclaimed, “Katie? Matt?”

“YEP!” The replied in unison.

“Can you get off me?” Keith pleaded, while trying not to spill all the food. As quickly as they descended, Matt and Katie pulled themselves off and said a proper hello.

“Keith,” Matt said, clasping a hand on his shoulder, “You look good. How are you holding up?” Keith was still chewing, so he nodded vehemently.

“I’m good,” he said at last. “Just tired from work.” He admitted. Matt and Katie were close to him, he felt safe telling them his troubles.

“Where do you work?” Katie asked. Keith looked at her, taking in her appearance. She’d grown a lot too the last few years. She was taller, fuller in stature. She’d cut her hair into a messy pixie cut, and now donned glasses. Matt on the other hand, had grown his hair out into a messy ponytail. And he either wasn’t wearing glasses or got contacts for his eyes.

“I work at the Garrison Memorial Hospital. I’m a nurse.” Keith answered at length.

At that moment a little kid, who couldn’t have been more than five or six, darted into the kitchen through the open doors. He was screaming and crying, hysterical in every sense. He bolted over to Matt, pointing outside. “Mm-Matt!” The kid shrieked, “Something’s wrong with Bailey! He’s on the ground shaking!! He won’t get up-he’s scary!”

Keith frowned. Shaking? That sounded like-

Without thinking he dropped the plate and ran outside. He saw a small crowd of children in the backyard under a tree. Keith dashed over to them and saw the child Bailey on the ground. He was having a seizure. Keith knelt down on the grass and pulled the kid into his lap. He held the kid’s head still, while checking for a pulse with his other hand.

Matt and Katie also came outside to see what all the commotion was about. “What’s wrong?” Matt asked.

“SHH!” Keith concentrated on counting the seconds the child was seizing. Two more minutes and he’d have to call an ambulance. No one said a word, the kids were transfixed, quiet as church mice. After another minute, Bailey stopped seizing. He stilled in Keith’s lap, blinking with glazed eyes. Keith helped him sit up, fanning the kid with his hand.

“Are you okay? Can you look at me really quick?” Keith asked. The kid was startled by this stranger, but Matt stepped in.

“Keith’s a nurse Bailey, he knows what he’s doing.” He reassured the kid. Bailey nodded, letting Keith inspect him.

“Everything checks out. Do you know that you had a seizure?” The kid nodded.

“It’s not the first time.” The boy replied. Keith squinted. At last the boy’s mom and dad showed up, sprinting across the back yard to the tree. Dad picked up Bailey while the mom pet his face.

“Oooh baby, are you okay?” Keith stood up, ignoring the glares from the parents.

“Who are you?” The dad said curtly.

Keith brushed the dirt from his pants and answered, “I’m Keith. Sam and Colleen used to be my foster parents.”

“He’s a nurse, and he helped Bailey through the seizure.” Matt put in. Keith appreciated the tiny bit of defense. Not another word was spoken, the parents carted off with their son back into the house. The kids went right back to playing again, chasing each other and screaming with abandon.

Matt turned to Keith and squeezed his arm. “Hey, that was pretty amazing, Keith.”

Keith just shrugged. “I deal with stuff like that on a daily basis at the hospital.” He replied nonchalantly.

The two of them walked back into the house, and Matt drug Keith upstairs. “So when I moved out mom and dad converted my old bedroom into like this mega game room, and I have to admit, it’s pretty sweet.” He explained. Matt thrust Keith through the door into his old bedroom. Now it was lined from floor to ceiling with bookshelves. Some of the shelves housed movies, others held video games, and some had actual books on them. Shocking. In the center of the room was a giant TV and stereo, and a plush brown love seat. A few beanbags were strewn on the floor as well.

Keith whistled at the sight, impressed by the room. “Damn Matt, sorry to say it, but wherever you live is a complete downgrade from this.”  He said with a cheeky grin. Matt laughed it off.

“Yeah, but my roommate and I are gonna make something like this for ourselves, isn’t that right _Shiro?"_

Keith’s heart suddenly stopped, over the top of the couch poked a familiar head of black and white hair. A man raised his thumb, while he concentrated on killing the zombies on the TV.

“Hey by the way, why don’t you introduce yourself,” Matt said, pushing Keith towards the love seat. Keith grew incredibly, unbelievably nervous the closer he came. Shiro paused the game, looking up at Keith and Matt.

“Keith?” He exclaimed, looking quite surprised.

“Good to see you,” Keith said, giving a polite wave. Matt frowned, clearly confused.

“You two already know each other?” He asked. Keith nodded. He pulled his shirt collar, suddenly feeling very hot and sweaty. He couldn’t stop thinking about their exchange at the diner. Shiro’s casual, cool attitude and the way he said _“you’re kinda cute.”_

Matt just shrugged, forcing Keith to sit on the other end of the love seat. “I’ll be right back!” He shouted, before leaving the room.

Then awkward silence followed. Keith leaned on the arm of the sofa, staring off into space. Shiro was undeniably uneasy too. He fiddled with the stick on his controller, trying to decide if he should continue playing or not. He settled on the latter and tried to strike up a conversation before one of them died from awkwardness.

“So uh, how do you know the Holts?” He asked. That seemed like a good start. Keith looked at him quizzically for second. It didn’t register in his brain he’d been asked a question yet.

“Oh uh, the Holts-uh, Mr. and Mrs. Holt fostered me for a couple of years when I was a teenager.”

“Cool. I didn’t know you were in the system...” Shiro replied. “Matt and I are roommates. He invited me over today.” He explained.

Keith had already kinda figured on that, but whatever.

“So, uh...about the other day at the diner,” Shiro began. Keith cut his eyes over to the wall, trying to avoid looking at him and embarrassing himself. “I know we barely know each other, but I was thinking, after the reunion, if you wanted to...we could go out for another burger?” He suggested.

Keith blushed, turning his head back to stare at Shiro. “As in, a date?” He asked. Keith needed the clarification before his stupid head went off to a place it shouldn’t.

“Yeah,” Shiro replied. “Like a date...”

Keith contemplated the offer for all of four seconds before he said yes. He tried not to sound like a teenage girl desperate for love, but his voice probably still came out that way. Oh well.

“Cool. I uh, can’t drive right now, but uh...” Shiro stammered. Keith scratched the back of his head, stroking through his recently-cut hair.

“Well I don’t drive either. So, I guess we’ll have to get a taxi or something.”

“We’ll make do.” Shiro said, grinning.

Keith nodded. “Yeah, we can make do.”


End file.
